My Kind of Town, Chicago
Where are you going, they asked. Somewhere warm, they hoped. Chicago, I said.
I surprised TK with a weekend away to Chicago for his birthday—his final year in his 20s. We weren’t escaping the Columbus winter—we were venturing off to one of our favorite cities, which unsurprisingly was experiencing winter, as well.
It was a beautiful nostalgic trip to all of our favorite restaurants, bookshops, community spaces, quiet reading corners, cozy pubs, and comedy shows. We did quite a few of our favorite things and enjoyed some new adventures. Here’s Chicago, from an insider’s view…
Just a quick flight to O’Hare.
Taking the CTA is a great way to look out onto the city.
The Food
We’re both creatures of habit—when we enjoy a place, we become repeat visitors. Going into the weekend we had reservations booked at The Dearborn (a go-to birthday & anniversary spot and the best place for roasted brussel sprouts), and The Oven Grinder (where the Mediterranean bread is the size of your table and the pizza pot pies are an art form).
Quick stops were made at Sweet Green for lunch (Columbus really needs one of these), and Miller’s Pub where you feel like old friends and the bar flies artwork feels like history. Then there were the coffee stops: Elaine’s Coffee Call, a coffee shop/cocktail bar in Hotel Lincoln, and Foxtrot, a trendy coffee shop and local market. We did venture to a new place for delicious Neapolitan pizza—Galluci was a lucky find, and oh so delicious!
If you ever visit Chicago, The Oven Grinder is an absolute must (Note: It’s cash only). Fun Fact: They didn’t always take reservations. Before 202o, it was walk-up only with a 1-4 hour wait depending on when you arrived.
The Sights & Shopping
While we went to Chicago with a food plan, we left the rest of the days up to spontaneity. There were walks through park to the Lincoln Park Conservatory; treks from Hotel Lincoln to Mag Mile for coffee and tea at the Chicago Athletic Association (note: they no longer allow photos, sadly); wanderings to old libraries and refurbished bookshops; local florist shops; and my pick—P.O.S.H. It’s an antique/vintage shop with collections of kitchen and dining ware among so much more. I recommend taking the time to explore their library of unique finds, and chatting with the lovely team that works there. I love their amusing bell man logo.
The Lincoln Park Conservatory is a warm, lush garden of eden. Prepare to bump into the gardeners caring for the plants—you’ll learn a lot and have a good laugh.
This made me want to dance down the evening streets of Chicago.
A Candlelight Adventure
While popping in everywhere was enjoyable, my favorite part was a last-minute discovery TK and I made the first night we were in town. We hadn’t planned anything because we knew we’d be tired from the day of travel and settling in. But that changed after an afternoon of reading in the coffeeshop, where I happened to do a brief search out of curiosity.
“Events in Chicago Tonight”
Up popped Candlelight: A Tribute to ABBA at Stan Mansion. I shared the idea with TK and not a moment later we had booked last minute tickets to a string quartet performance in a historic mansion now used as an event space in Logan Square. We didn’t know what we were in for, but we later learned it was pure magic. It’s left us humming and singing ABBA tunes ever since.
I’ll leave you with the magical sounds of Listeso String Quartet. Your ears will thank me.
Photographs and video by Stephanie Snyder documented on iPhone 12 Pro & Sony a7iii.